President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with their delegations across a conference table on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
“It’s a great honor to be with a friend of mine…the very, very distinguished and respected president of China,” Trump said.
“We will be having some discussions, I think we’ve already agreed to a lot of things and we’ll be agreeing to some more right now,” he said.
“I think we’re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time,” he said.
Xi, speaking through an interpreter, said it was a great pleasure for him, too, to meet Trump.
“It feels very warm seeing you again because it has been many years,” Xi said.
“Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye,” Xi said.
“It is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have friction now and then,” Xi said, adding:
that he and Trump should “stay the right course” on bilateral relations.
“I always believe that China’s development goes hand in hand with your vision to make America great again,” Xi said.
“Our two countries are fully able to help each other succeed and prosper together.”
“China and the United States should be partners and friends. This is what history has taught us and what reality demands.”
Xi said their economic and trade teams had “reached basic consensus” on major concerns and made “encouraging progress.”
“This provided the necessary conditions for our meeting today,” Xi said.
“I am ready to continue working with you to build a solid foundation for China-US relations,” Xi said.
Xi said he appreciated Trump’s work on the Gaza ceasefire and said he and Trump should jointly shoulder responsibilities and work together to the good of the whole world.
